Research Advances of m6A RNA Methylation in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine is one of the most prevalent mRNA modification in eukaryotes. The regulation of this pervasive mark is a dynamic and reversible process. m6A RNA methylation is catalyzed by m6A writers, removed by m6A erasers and recognized by m6A readers, thereby regulating multiple RNA processes including alternative splicing, nuclear export, degradation and translation. Accumulated evidence suggests that m6A modification plays a crucial role in the pathogenic mechanism and malignant progression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including cell survival, proliferation, migration, invasion, tumor metastasis and drug resistance. Moreover, the expression of m6A and its related proteins are dysregulated in clinical samples and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) of lung cancer patients, indicating that m6A modification may serve as a novel potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer. In this review, by summarizing a great number of recent reports related to m6A’s function and its modulators, we aim to provide a new insight on the early diagnosis and drug development in NSCLC therapy.

Keywords

• lung neoplasms
• n6-methyladenosine
• rna methylation
• epigenetic modification